The text of the following statement was issued jointly by the Governments of the United States, Norway, and the United Kingdom.

The members of the Troika (Norway, the United Kingdom, and the United States) are alarmed about the escalating conflict around Yei, which represents a flagrant breach of the December 2017 Cessation of Hostilities Agreement and the September 2018 revitalized peace agreement. These military actions, and the trading of blame, must stop.

Two federal courts handed down decisions this week protecting religious liberty and agreeing with the positions of the Department of Justice in those cases. In the first case, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit ruled that a federal trial court had improperly dismissed a suit by a small African Christian congregation under the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA). The congregation alleges that Baltimore County, Maryland, improperly denied the congregation zoning approval for a new church. In the second case, the United States District Court for the District of Iowa ruled that the University of Iowa violated the First Amendment rights of a student group when the University de-registered the group for requiring its student leaders to adhere to the group’s religious beliefs, while not applying that same requirement to other student groups.

In defiance of the international community, the Iranian regime continues to develop and test ballistic missiles, including a reported second failed space launch in less than a month. Space launch vehicles use technologies that are virtually identical and interchangeable with those used in ballistic missiles, including in Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs). This attempted launch furthers Iran’s ability to eventually build such a weapon that threatens our allies.

The United States has taken necessary actions to prevent the illegitimate former Maduro regime from further plundering Venezuela’s assets and natural resources.

The United States has determined that persons operating in Venezuela’s oil sector may now be subject to sanctions pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13850 signed by President Trump on November 1, 2018. Petroleos de Venezuela, S.A. (PDVSA) has been designated for operating within this sector.

“The deep commercial, security, and people-to-people relationships between our two countries are rooted in mutual interest and respect, as well as our shared commitment to combatting terrorism and fostering the conditions for prosperity.” – Secretary Michael R. Pompeo, July 23, 2018

REINFORCING OUR STRONG RELATIONSHIP

Egypt is one of the United States’ longest-standing strategic partners in the Middle East.

Egypt plays a vital role in regional security and stability through its counterterrorism efforts, support for the UN-facilitated political process in Libya, efforts to counter the Iranian regime’s malicious activities, and the maintenance of the Egypt-Israel Treaty of Peace, which will see its 40th anniversary this March.

SECRETARY POMPEO: We’ve got a good trip, a lengthy trip, to the Middle East. I’ve been to the Middle East probably as much as any Secretary of State in the beginning of their tour. I went there in my previous role quite a bit as well. They’re an important set of relationships, especially for this administration as we continue to build out the coalition that’s pushing back against the world’s largest state sponsor of terror, Iran.

So that’ll be a significant piece of what I do, but it’s also the case that I haven’t had a chance, although I talk to them on the phone with some frequency, to see them for a number of weeks and to come back and make sure everybody’s clear about the fact that the United States is still committed to all the missions that we signed up for with them over the past two years. The counter-ISIS campaign continues, the effort – the counter-Iran campaign absolutely continues, and our commitment to support Middle East stability is still full throttle.